Few moments in the world of fashion resonate as profoundly as an item that transcends trends to become a legend. With no compromise on comfort or functionality and a visual dominance that holds its own, the Original Birkin bag produced such a moment. A singular piece of fashion history that signals luxury in a most understated way, the Birkin bag has grown into a cultural phenomenon. It stands shoulder to shoulder with other exceptional objects with similar provenance, holding the power to redefine records when sold at auction. In a world of seasonal fashion trends, the Birkin bag is not going to go out of style anytime soon. From a practical accessory to a cult classic, the bag’s presence is felt the world over, spanning the music, film and television industries to show up as a coveted piece in the wardrobes of many artists and celebrities alike.
Probably the most famous bag of all time, the Original Hermès Birkin has been consigned to Sotheby’s Paris for sale this summer. Belonging to Jane Birkin herself, the bag’s value is reinforced by its cultural significance and exclusivity. It tells an epic story with flair and an ultimate display of prowess. It doesn’t just belong to fashion history. It made it.
The Original Birkin Is Going Up for Auction in July
It is rare to walk inside a Hermès store and bring home a new Birkin bag. A very limited number are created each year. The house is famously selective about who they sell to and you can’t just buy a bag – you have to be offered one. Hermès prioritises clients who have built a strong relationship with the brand over time – meaning they spend six figures annually on other Hermès pieces. It is this kind of exclusivity that keeps the brand on a pedestal.
However, if you ever dreamt of getting your hands on the Original Birkin bag, the prototype made for actress and singer Jane Birkin is going up for auction in July. Sotheby’s Handbags & Fashion department is presenting the inaugural Fashion Icons sale in Paris, an event that will feature the Original Hermès Birkin bag, created in 1984 in collaboration with the actress. While other Birkin creations vary across their sizes, colourways and leathers, this unique prototype is distinguished by seven design elements that render its status symbol as the very genesis of the world’s most coveted bag and the embodiment of the Birkin legend.
The Paris sale will also highlight a curated selection of legendary pieces from landmark couture collections by Christian Dior, Alexander McQueen, John Galliano and Thierry Mugler.
The Original Birkin was displayed at Sotheby’s New York from June 6 to June 12 and it will then travel to Paris from the 3rd to the 9th of July before leading the house’s online “Fashion Icons” sale on July 10.
Hermès Original Birkin Crafted for Jane Birkin
The Original Birkin model is an icon in its purest form – uncommercial, unedited, and entirely itself. Slightly taller and broader than the Birkins that followed, its proportions are practical, with a height of just under 14 inches and a depth of just under 16 inches. The strap is fixed, and the hardware humble brass. The zipper is sourced from another maker and the feet – or bottom studs – are smaller on this prototype than those used by Hermès to manufacture the commercialised Birkin bags. The Original Birkin reflects the many years of use by the actress and is presented in the exact condition it was last used by Jane. It is branded with her initials – J.B. – and the Original Certificate of the Charity auction signed by Jane Birkin, on 5 October 1994, is also included.
The Original Birkin has travelled the world like a rare piece of art. It was displayed under glass at MoMA in New York and then shown at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum. In October 2024, it was on display at Sotheby’s Paris and Sotheby’s Maison in Hong Kong, where thousands came to see and admire it.
Back to the Origins
The bag’s creation has become the stuff of legend. Its origins lie in a chance encounter on a flight between Jane Birkin and then Hermès artistic director Jean-Louis Dumas. The British-French actress confessed to Dumas that she had struggled to find a handbag large enough to hold her daily essentials, and it was then that Dumas offered to create the bag for her. Sketched on an airsickness bag, the two designed what would become The Birkin – two handles, tote style, a smaller version of the famous Hermès’s Haut à Courroies sac. Hermès offered Jane Birkin the bag in 1985 and asked her permission to name the model after her.
Final Thought
Jane Birkin, who died in July 2023, owned five Birkin bags over the course of her life, one of which sold for $160,000 at an auction in 2021– five times its pre-sale estimate.
One of the most admired bags of its generation, the Birkin speaks not only to the scale of provenance behind it but also to a desire for enduring design, built to withstand scrutiny and remain relevant over time. The upcoming Fashion Icons auction in Paris presents a historic opportunity to own The Original Birkin that embodies the intersection of fashion history, craftsmanship and personal style – a living artefact from the hands of the woman who gave it her name.
